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Shivan Fazil is a researcher with the Middle East and North Africa Program at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. His work mainly focuses on drivers of conflict, peacebuilding and governance in Iraq. He is regularly quoted in the international media, commenting on social, political, and security dynamics in post-conflict Iraq. Fazil holds an MSc in Middle Eastern politics from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.
Addressing challenges to tolerance and religious diversity in Iraq
Iraq has long had a troubled history with its ethno-religious minorities, one full of oppression and violence. This was true under the Ba’athist regime and continued after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, reaching a nadir with the rise of the Islamic State terrorist group. Although Iraq is now enjoying its most stable period in the past two decades, it is also a case study of the pernicious effects of structural violence, especially toward the more marginalized and vulnerable segments of society.
